More Training Tips

• Overtraining
  
  
• Hydration
  
  
• Multiple Workouts
  
  
• Weight-to-Dosage Ratios
  
  
• Metabolic Testing
  
  
• Carbs-to-Protein Ratio
  
  
• Training with Aminos
  
  
• Recovery with Pro Power Plus, Rebuild II, and Nutri-build III
  
  
• Opti-Build Training
  
  
• Rehabbing joints from
  surgery or injury

Training Tips: Hydration

Quench Your Thirst
Tips to avoid dehydration and cramping
The need for athletes to consume fluids before, during and after exercise is well documented and researched. Dehydration, or loss of body water, of one to two percent of body weight begins to compromise normal body functions and can negatively influence performance. If dehydration continues, further physiological disruption occurs and the risk of developing exertional heat illness (heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heatstroke) increases.(1,2,3) Individual athletes and teams have instituted aggressive fluid-replacement regimens to lessen the effects of dehydration. Athletes and coaches are now, more than ever, receiving good information about proper fluid replacement guidelines. Because of these improved guidelines and practices, deaths from heat-related disorders in athletics are declining.

Water - the essential fluid
The importance of water to the human body cannot be overstated. Approximately 73 percent of our lean body mass is water.(4) Without food, the body can maintain life for weeks; without water, only days. But water alone for the exercising athlete is frequently not enough. The number one protection against the deleterious effects of dehydration and cramping among athletes is consumption of the right combination of fluids and electrolytes.

While water is an essential fluid, it contains no electrolytes, carbohydrates or flavor benefits. As a result, athletes typically "voluntarily dehydrate" by not consuming enough water to maintain a fluid balance.(5,6) To avoid this voluntary dehydration, athletes must be educated on the effects of dehydration on performance and informed on how to monitor hydration status. Athletes must be convinced to participate in their own hydration based on personal preferences in fluid choices and sweat rates. Furthermore, substances included in popular beverages, such as caffeine, alcohol or carbonation, can lead to further dehydration and should be avoided. Caffeine or alcohol can lead to increased urine output and reduced fluid retention. Carbonated beverages may reduce fluid intake due to stomach fullness.(7)

The American College of Sports Medicine and the National Athletic Trainers' Association have developed detailed position statements on fluid replacement for athletes. Both are excellent resources for developing a fluid-replacement protocol for individual athletes or teams.(7,8)

Avoid "pickle" mania
Recently, something new has hit the athletic scene claiming to work wonders for the dehydrated athlete: pickle juice. The Philadelphia Eagles used pickle juice as a supplement to their players’ fluid replacement during Week 1 of the 2000 NFL season. The players and coaches of the Eagles credited, at least anecdotally, pickle juice for their win over the Dallas Cowboys. The next week, many football teams across the country were utilizing pickle juice as part of the fluid-replacement program.

The inclusion of sodium chloride in fluid-replacement beverages is recommended in physical activities exceeding 4 hours in duration or during the initial days of hot weather. Adding modest amounts of salt (0.3 to 0.7g/L) to a replacement beverage can offset sodium losses in sweat and reduce muscle cramping associated with exercise. More importantly, sodium enhances the palatability of the ingested fluid and can maximize the amount of fluid consumed because of improved taste.

While the replacement of sodium and electrolytes lost in sweat is important, the whole concept of attributing the use of pickle juice to victory appears dangerous and misleading. Two ounces of pickle juice contains large amounts of sodium chloride. These amounts vary in concentration from different manufacturers, making ingestion of prescribed amounts of sodium difficult. Furthermore, if two ounces are recommended, many athletes will think four ounces is twice as effective. This self-medication behavior in the absence of trained sports medicine professionals is extremely dangerous, particularly in the hypertensive athlete. Pickle juice can also contain varying amounts of vinegar, garlic and other substances that could be harmful to performance or cause gastrointestinal irritation.

Obviously, the use of "magic potions" should be discouraged, especially when sodium and electrolyte replacement can be achieved safely by utilizing many of the scientifically searched and formulated products on the market. Athletes can also benefit from including carbohydrates in their rehydration program, especially in activities lasting more than one hour. Athletes should consume carbohydrates at the rate of 1L per hour of exercise to maintain optimal carbohydrated metabolism. Fluid replacement sports drinks such as Gatorade and Powerade help encourage hydration by tasting good with a light slightly sweet flavor. These drinks also provide optimal levels of carbohydrate (6 percent) that allow quick absorption without slowing gastric emptying time.(9,10)

The importance of electrolytes
Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium) are dissolved in the body as electrically charged particles called ions. A major function of these electrolytes is to modulate body fluid exchange within the various fluid compartments of the body. Perhaps the most important role of sodium and potassium is that of establishing the proper electrical gradients across cell membranes. This electrical difference inside and outside the cell is required for the transmission of nerve impulses and for the stimulation and contraction of muscle. These minerals area also important in controlling the acid-base qualities of body fluids, especially blood.(11)

An important consequence of prolonged exercise, especially in hot weather, is the loss of water and mineral salts, primarily sodium and some potassium in sweat. Excessive water and electrolyte losses impair heat tolerance and exercise performance and can lead to dysfunction in the form of heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.(11

Summary
Fluid-replacement recommendations are now well documented and researched. Several organizations, including the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Athletic Trainers' Association, have offered position statements on fluid replacements for athletes that provide specific guidelines and protocols for implementation of hydration programs.(7,8) Water, electrolytes, and carbohydrates are all important in maintaining proper fluid balance and avoiding the negative performance effects of dehydration. Electrolyte replenishment products such as ReLyte combined with proactive hydration practices, are safe and effective in reducing the incidence of heat-related illness and warrant more research.

TIPS TO AVOID EXERCISE-RELATED MUSCLE CRAMPS
While the effects of dehydration on exercise performance can be subtle, the onset of muscle cramping is very apparent. Cramps are painful, involuntary contractions of skeletal muscle during or immediately after exercise. The exact etiology of skeletal muscle cramping is unknown. Fluid and electrolyte imbalances are one possible cause. Another possible cause involves abnormal spinal control of motor neuron activity, particularly when a muscle contracts in a shortened position. Important risk factors include muscle fatigue and poor stretching habits.(12)

-by Lane Parks, MS, ATC
Reprinted by permission

David Craig, head trainer for the Indiana Pacers and former chairman of the executive committee, NBA Trainers Association

References
1 Casa DJ, “Exercise in the heat, I, fundamentals of thermal physiology, performance implications , and dehydration.” J Athletic Training, 1999
2 Montain SJ, Coyle, EF, “Influence of graded dehydration on hyperthermia and cardiovascular drift during exercise.” J Appl. Physiol., 1992
3 Walsh RM, Noakes TD, Hawley JA, et al. “Impaired high-intensity cycling performance time at low levels of dehyrdation.” Int J Sports Med., 1994
4 Sawka MN, Coyle EF. “Influence of body water and blood volume on thermoregulation and exercise performance in the heat." Exerc Sport Sci Rev., 1999
5 Rivera-Brown AM, Gutierrez R, Gutierrez JC, et al. “Drink composition, voluntary drinking and fluid balance in exercising, trained, heat-acclimatized boys.” J Appl Physiol., 1999
6 Juliano S, Naughton G, Collier G, et al. “Examination of the self-selected fluid intake practices by junior athletes during a simulated duathlon event.” Int J Sport Nutr., 1998
7 Binkley HM, Beckett J, Casa DJ, et al. “National Athletic Trainers’Association position statement: fluid replacement for athletes.” J Athletic Training, 2000
8 American College of Sports Medicine. Position stand: exercise and fluid replacement. Med Sci Sports Exerc., 1996
9 Below PR, Coyle EF. “Fluid and carbohydrate ingestion individually benefit exercise lasting one hour.” Med Sci Sports Exerc., 1995
10 Costill DL, Saltin B. “Factors limiting gastric emptying during rest and exercise.” J Appl Physiol, 1974
11 McArdle WE, Katch FI, Katch VL. Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition and Human Performance. Philadelphia, PA, Lea and Febiger; 1986
12 Schwellnus MP. “Skeletal muscle cramps during exercise.” Physician Sportsmed., 1999By Lane Parks, MS, ATC
Reprinted with permission